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''[[Iceland Genealogy|Iceland]]'' | ''[[Iceland Genealogy|Iceland]]'' | ||
{{Iceland | {{CountrySidebar | ||
|Country=Iceland | |||
|Name=Iceland | |||
|Type=Topic | |||
|Topic Type=Background | |||
|Background=Naming Customs | |||
|Rating=Standardized | |||
}} | |||
== Online Resources == | == Online Resources == | ||
*[https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Main_Page Nordic Names] A website studying given names in the Nordic countries. | *[https://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Main_Page Nordic Names] A website studying given names in the Nordic countries. | ||
*Þjóðskrá Íslands (Icelandic National Registry), [https://www.island.is/nafngjof ''Nafngjöf og nafnareglur'' (Naming and name rules)] | *Þjóðskrá Íslands (Icelandic National Registry), [https://www.island.is/nafngjof ''Nafngjöf og nafnareglur'' (Naming and name rules)] | ||
*[https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname Surname experience] at FamilySearch - search by surname to learn its meaning and origin | |||
== Introduction == | == Introduction == | ||
Considerable confusion exists among many people with Icelandic ancestry regarding how names are used in Iceland and how they should be recorded. This article attempts to give background into the historical practices, legislation, and recommended best practices for recording Icelandic personal and place names. | Considerable confusion exists among many people with Icelandic ancestry regarding how names are used in Iceland and how they should be recorded. This article attempts to give background into the historical practices, legislation, and recommended best practices for recording Icelandic personal and place names. | ||
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**The suffix ''-son'' is frequently abbreviated as '''s''' or '''ss''' | **The suffix ''-son'' is frequently abbreviated as '''s''' or '''ss''' | ||
=== Best Practices For Recording Names === | === Best Practices For Recording Names in Family Tree === | ||
*Surnames which are abbreviated in the records should be recorded fully spelled out | *Surnames which are abbreviated in the records should be recorded fully spelled out | ||
*Farm names indicate residence, and should be recorded as part of the event locality - not as a surname | *Farm names indicate residence, and should be recorded as part of the event locality - not as a surname | ||
*When a person's name is not given in the records, or only part of their name is known, see the instructions in [[Entering Unknown or Incomplete Names in Genealogy]] | |||
== Legislative Changes == | == Legislative Changes == | ||
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The first spelling rules were proposed in 1859 by Halldór Kristian Friðriksson in his book, ''Íslenzkar rjettritunarreglar''. In 1918 the ''Stjórnarráðið'' () approved modified spelling rules which were again modified in 1929 by the Ministry of Education. This change mandated the use of ''je'' in place of ''é'' in certain cases.<ref>Guðrun Kvaran, [https://www.visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=1947# "Hvenær var bókstafurinn 'é' tekinn upp í íslensku í stað 'je' og af hverju er 'je' enn notað í ýmsum orðum?"] (When was the letter 'é' introduced in Icelandic instead of 'je' and why is 'je' still used in various words?), ''Vísindavefurinn'', 12 November 2011. 24 March 2021.</ref> | The first spelling rules were proposed in 1859 by Halldór Kristian Friðriksson in his book, ''Íslenzkar rjettritunarreglar''. In 1918 the ''Stjórnarráðið'' () approved modified spelling rules which were again modified in 1929 by the Ministry of Education. This change mandated the use of ''je'' in place of ''é'' in certain cases.<ref>Guðrun Kvaran, [https://www.visindavefur.is/svar.php?id=1947# "Hvenær var bókstafurinn 'é' tekinn upp í íslensku í stað 'je' og af hverju er 'je' enn notað í ýmsum orðum?"] (When was the letter 'é' introduced in Icelandic instead of 'je' and why is 'je' still used in various words?), ''Vísindavefurinn'', 12 November 2011. 24 March 2021.</ref> | ||
In 1973 ''je'' was replaced with ''é'' and the letter ''Z'' was removed from the alphabet. The [https://islenskan.is/ ''Íslenzk málnefnd'' (Icelandic Language Committee)] was established in 1964 and is responsible for language policy, spelling, and writing rules. | In 1973 ''je'' was replaced with ''é'' and the letter ''Z'' was removed from the alphabet. The [https://islenskan.is/ ''Íslenzk málnefnd'' (Icelandic Language Committee)] was established in 1964 and is responsible for language policy, spelling, and writing rules. At this time the name of the committee was changed to ''Íslensk málnefnd''. | ||
=== Laws on Personal Names === | === Laws on Personal Names === | ||
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All are the same person. | All are the same person. | ||
When farm names are given in a record, they provide residence information and are not part of the person’s surname. As such, they should be added as part of the locality information and | When farm names are given in a record, they provide residence information and are not part of the person’s surname. As such, they should be added as part of the locality information and not a part of the person's name. An illustration would be a person named Mary Smith. Her name alone is not that unique, but if you were to refer to her as Mary Smith of Battle Lake, Minnesota, she is identified with much higher precision. | ||
As many of the original settlers of Iceland were from Norway, it is appropriate to look there for additional insight. According to Yngve Nedrebø, Director of the Regional Archive in Bergen, "[farm names do] not necessarily identify a family or a relationship; it signified a place of residence. If farmer Ole Olsen Li moved from Li to another farm, such as Dal, he would then be known as Ole Olsen Dal. A farm laborer could be named in the same way, even though he was not related to the farmer."<ref>Nedrebø, Yngve, ''How to trace your ancestors in Norway''. Oslo, Norway : Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1989. | As many of the original settlers of Iceland were from Norway, it is appropriate to look there for additional insight. According to Yngve Nedrebø, Director of the Regional Archive in Bergen, "[farm names do] not necessarily identify a family or a relationship; it signified a place of residence. If farmer Ole Olsen Li moved from Li to another farm, such as Dal, he would then be known as Ole Olsen Dal. A farm laborer could be named in the same way, even though he was not related to the farmer."<ref>Nedrebø, Yngve, ''How to trace your ancestors in Norway''. Oslo, Norway : Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 1989. FS Library Book {{FSC|504142|item|disp=948.1 D27o 1989}}. Also available online at Digital Archives, [https://www.digitalarkivet.no/en/content/trace-ancestors How to trace your ancestors in Norway].</ref> | ||
Another problem with including farm names as part of someone’s surname is making the decision of which farm name to use. It is not uncommon for a person to live more than one place over the course of their lifetime. Would you use: | Another problem with including farm names as part of someone’s surname is making the decision of which farm name to use. It is not uncommon for a person to live more than one place over the course of their lifetime. Would you use: | ||
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[[Category:Iceland]] | [[Category:Iceland]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Naming Customs]] | ||
[[Category:Patronyms]] | [[Category:Patronyms]] | ||
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